Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Here's a simple refreshing salad that was a perfect lunchtime meal this afternoon.

Spinach & Grape Salad

It goes something like this:

1 - 2 c Spinach leaves (or a big ol' handful)

1 c seedless Green Grapes - sliced in half

1/4 small Red Onion - sliced lengthwise/thin

1/2 c Cucumber - sliced in thin rounds and then quartered

1/2 c Walnuts - chopped

1 Avocado - cubed

Toss your salad ingredients with a dash of Salt & Pepper and enjoy as-is, or with a simple Sweet Mustard dressing (following the below photo)

Simple Sweet Mustard Dressing (for two)

2 heaping Tbsp Creamy Dijon Mustard

2 Tbsp Coconut Nectar //or// 2 Tbsp Medjool Date paste + tsp Lemon

4 Tbsp Water

Cracked Black Pepper to taste

Wisk the above ingredients together and mix into your Spinach & Grape Salad.

---

I hope everyone is enjoying their week so far!

I'll be fairly busy over the next few days with food prep for an upcoming event this Saturday (AtV's big local debut!!). I'll do my best to check in throughout the "Food Marathon Madness", and hopefully share a recipe or two. Wish me luck - I need it!

Sunday, June 27, 2010

This soup may require supervision while eating, due to it's dangerous levels of tastiness. Please eat at your own risk.Alright, with that out of the way...

I have to admit that I did not plan what happened in my high speed blender last night. I blame it completely on food fate, and I am so glad that I decided to write it down too! You might remember me mentioning in a recent post that one of my most favorite soups from my pre-AtV days is Split Pea. Well, my other favorite soup is Tomato Bisque. Back in the day I made a wicked Tomato Bisque with the perfect hint of spice, and of course (like my Split Pea soup) I'd almost always make an enormous batch so I could eat it for days on end. I got no shame people!! It was with no intention but to use up some leftover veggies that I happened to recreate this beloved soup, with an AtV twist. I was so surprised I could hardly stand it! So I sat down, and ate two bowls.

Friday, June 25, 2010

I may have overindulged in some extra sleep this morning, but after this busy week I know I deserved it. Plus, I don't know if anyone out there can relate, but it's pretty damn difficult to get out of bed when you've got two torturously adorable pups vying for your snuggle time.

Anywho --- after my late morning workout I was craving a smoothie, but I also wanted to spoon unladylike amounts of Almond butter with Cinnamon into my mouth too...so I decided to compromise and bring both of those things together. Here's what happened:

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Due to a current home wireless problem (or lack there of) this evening AtV is coming to you from a remote location;

A cozy local coffee shoppe, sipping on a mug of warm tea, live jazz quartet playing in the background, and Mr. AtV sitting across the table from me. This wasn't a planned event, but it's turning out to be really relaxing and fun! I may just have to make this a Thursday night tradition. Maybe I can even convince the hubby to do a little soft-shoe with me...right now the quartet is jamming OUT to "Love for Sale". I am a serious nerd for this kind of music.

Okay, back to the real point of this post...

Here's a little something I had for dinner tonight. While it is very similar to many things you've already seen here, the Apple in this recipe is such a rock star, making for a savory and filling dish that was gone within minutes.

Cottage Apple Salad

-

Step 1. Assembling your salad:

1/2 Apple - chopped (I used Braeburn because their flavor is sweet with the perfect hint tart)

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

First of all, I have to dedicate this recipe to my awesome friend Mark who recently got me thinking about Chowder; asking how I would prepare it - Addicted to Veggies style of course. So thank you Markie-poo! You rock!

Second - I'd like to give a shout out to my favorite Cookbook Author Meta Givens for helping me with this dish, since I've never actually made 'real' Chowder before. Not to mention I can't remember the last time I've even tried the creamy hearty soup. Meta's Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking (volumes I & II) will forever be my go-to books for recipe help and inspiration.

You can prepare this chowder in either a food processor or high-speed blender. In this recipe I will specify the correct amount of water for both methods of pureeing. This recipe yields roughly 2 - 3 servings. Also - while there are 3 steps in this recipe, please don't be intimidated! They are all very simple and easy.

Corn Chowder

-

Step 1. Plain Chowder

1 c Macadamia Nuts

1 c Zucchini - peeled and chopped

1/2 c Corn (you can use fresh or frozen)

1/4 c Mushroom (Crimini or Shiitake) - chopped

1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

Sea Salt to taste

:::Water:::

High Speed Blender: 1 c Water

Food Processor: 1/2 to 3/4 c Water

In your high speed blender or food processor puree the above ingredients until whipped and creamy ---

Food Processor puree time: 2-3 minutes. Stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Add 1/2 c water first, and 1/4 c more water if needed. Puree an additional 2-3 minutes until very creamy.

High Speed Blender time: 2-3 minutes on high, until creamy and hot.

-

Step 2. Flavoring the Plain Chowder:

1 Tbsp Onion powder

1 tsp Kelp Granules

1 tsp Ground Celery Seed

1 tsp dried Parsley

Black Pepper to taste

Add all of the above into your food processor or high speed blender (with the Plain Chowder) and pulse 5 to 10 times until evenly mixed.

-

Step 3. Chowder Ingredients:

1 c Corn

1/4 c Celery - chopped well

1/4 c Carrot - chopped well

Toss in a bowl with a dash of Sea Salt and cracked Black Pepper. You can opt to heat these ingredients in your dehydrator if you'd like.

Mix your Chowder AND ingredients together, and serve with a dash of Kelp Granules. Ohmydearsweetgoodness...this is GOOD. I really hope you guys try this one!

1/2 c Water
---Puree the above ingredients until creamy. Add the sauce to your Salad components and toss/mix evenly.

---
I'm a little bummed that I didn't get as much done as I would've liked (recipe-wise) with this week's "Weekly Veggie". I seemed to have a lot more kitchen "fails" then usual, hence the lack of activity on the recipe front. But it's okay --- the next two weeks are going to be very exciting, and I'll be making an announcement tomorrow on what you can expect to see and read about. I hope you've all had a wonderful weekend/Father's day, and thank you SO much for stopping by!

Friday, June 18, 2010

I hope this doesn't bore you too much, and I promise it's totally worth trying.

Have it in place of a salad dressing, on top of pasta, with cheeze, stuff it into cucumber, zucchini, or even mushroom. It's versatile, I swear! Oh, and it's also very easy to make.

---

Strawberry n' Pea Compote

1 c Strawberries - chopped

1 c Peas (in pod)

1/2 c Red Onion - chopped

1/2 c Green Bell Pepper - chopped

1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar //or// Apple Cider vinegar

1/2 tsp Lemon Pepper

Optional: one or two pinches of Sea Salt

Pulse the above ingredients in food processor until evenly minced - be careful not to puree this, you don't want a smoothie. You can also opt to hand mince the ingredients if you don't have a food processor.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

In the past I was known to make enormous batches of the stuff and eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Shamelessly. Even though those days are gone, I still think fondly of my favorite soup. So today I decided to try re-making this beloved dish, with my own personal twist of course. The result was a fresh simple soup, full of flavor, and so completely satisfying. I hope you agree!

Combine the above ingredients in either food processor or high speed blender (using the appropriate amount of water noted above). Puree until very smooth and creamy. Garnish with extra Cumin and Pepper.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

This one is so simple, so quick, and so fresh! Oh yes - this is also another perfect Summertime food too. If you make a double batch then you could also present it as an appetizer to any outdoor potluck/picnic, including your own! I think I'll be making this as a side dish for our Father's day bash this weekend...hopefully the omnivorous family will approve.

---

Peachy Pea Compote in Cucumber Boats

Step 1. Compote:

2 Peaches - peeled and chopped very well (this adds up to roughly 1/2 cup)

3/4 to 1 c Snap Peas - chopped very well (pod included)

2 to 3 Tbsp Onion - minced

1 tsp Medjool Date Paste

Mix the above ingredients very well - set aside.

Step 2. Cucumber Boat:

1 large Cucumber - peeled

Slice Cucumber into 1/2 inch rounds

Hollow out 3/4 of the Cucumber seeds/inside

Make sure to leave a bottom to your Cucumber round - otherwise your filling will fall out when you pick it up!

Stuff the Peachy Pea Compote into the Cucumber rounds and top with either:

Depending on the time of day that I make a recipe, I'll often scamper throughout my house (and backyard) trying to take a decent photo of my plate using natural lighting. This will all change eventually, when I trade my little point-and-shoot in for a more serious "big girl" camera.

In the back ground of this photo you can see one of my furry pals Elmer. He usually acts as my shadow while I'm "searching for good lighting"...hoping (I'm sure) that a veggie will fall off of my plate. Not this time buddy.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

I'm really excited to share the following recipes because they're the perfect outdoor party foods! I'm also happy to report that while I type this, for the first time this year I'm sitting outside on my patio without a sweater or jacket on. It finally feels like Summer has made it's way to my cloudy little Pacific Northwest town.

---

There's two ways you can prepare your Mushrooms by using these sauces:

Version 1. Baste your Mushrooms (top and bottom) and dehydrate for 1-2 hours. This will intensify the flavors of the sauce and also firm up your mushrooms slightly.

OR

Version 2. Baste your Mushrooms (top and bottom), store in an air tight container in your fridge overnight so the Mushrooms can marinade in the sauce.

Here's my play on the very well known Crostini. Living with a gluten intolerance, I'm always thinking of food that can fool my palate and satisfy my cravings for bread at the same time. This is definitely one of those dishes, and I'm happy to report that my taste-testers agree. No matter how you serve this, and even if you opt to not use the Garlic Creme Fresh, the SavoryFava Bean Tapenade alone (or paired with sprouted Quinoa as a sort of 'Tabbouleh') is a yummy success.

Those of you who love Creamy sauces and dips - this one is for you!
---
In this post you will find:
One recipe for Plain 'Creme' that converts into the two following Creme based recipes:

Shiitake Alfredo Sauce

Garlic 'Creme Fraiche'

---

Plain 'Creme' Recipe

(Be sure to Half this recipe if you plan on ONLY making the Creme Fraiche //or// Alfredo sauce - otherwise you'll have a lot of left overs. This can be a good or a bad thing.)

1 c Zucchini - peeled and choppped

1 c Macadamia nuts

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 heaping tsp Dijon Mustard

1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tbsp Medjool date paste //or// 2 Medjool dates

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 c Water

Puree the ingredients for up to 5 minutes in your food processor, or until very smooth/whipped.

---

Shiitake Alfredo Sauce

(While this recipe calls for Shiitake you can opt to use Crimini mushrooms if you'd prefer.)

1 c Plain Creme

1/4 c Zucchini - chopped and peeled

1 Tbsp Nutritional yeast

1 tsp Lemon juice

1/2 tsp Garlic Granules

1 tsp Onion powder

1 tsp Parsley - dried

1/2 tsp Lemon Pepper

Sea Salt to taste

1/4 Water (add very slowly to Creme, you may not want to use all of the water if you prefer a thick sauce)

Puree the above ingredients until smooth

Add to the sauce:

2 to 3 big handfuls of crumbled dehydrated Shiitake Mushroom

Pulse the crumbled mushroom into the sauce, making sure to not puree it (you want the mushroom crumbles intact trust me!)
-

Here's the catch with this sauce: The longer you let it sit/chill in the fridge the more the mushroom flavor comes through. If you're the patient type I encourage you to let this sauce sit in the fridge for at least an hour before eating it. Overnight is even better!

Enjoy this as a dip for veggies, or pour it over your favorite "pasta". My favorite way to serve this sauce (seen in the photo above) is to pair it with spiral cut Zucchini, Red Bell Pepper, and Onion. I toss all of the veggies into the dehydrator for about 1 hour. This warms them through and really works well as a pasta fake-out.

So I had aspirations to do more this week, but in spite of those good intentions I wasn't able to find the time to post ANYthing! Boo me! I did find some time to have a mini 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' marathon this evening. That's another story though...sometimes you have to take a break and self indulge.

Tomorrow's a big day folks! I'll be posting three different recipes (all featured in the above photo), including a trip to my local Farmer's Market, and to the Roller Rink. Here's to a sunny Saturday! I hope you're all having a lovely weekend so far.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

I've decided to try something new with the current "Weekly Veggie": Posting recipes throughout the week rather than on Sunday. I'm hoping that this works out a little better for precious times sake...lets see how it works for you guys.

The following recipe is for a lovely person I've had the pleasure of chatting with over at livejournal's Raw Veganism Community. So thank you L, you helped with this recipe more than you know!

(this is what you will toss your 'Couscous' mixture in, not to be confused with the cream sauce displayed in above photo)

*1/2 c Zucchini - peeled and shredded

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil - melted //or//2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp Lemon juice

1/2 tsp Garlic Granules

1/2 tsp Black cracked Pepper

Pinch Cayenne - or to taste

Sea Salt to taste

1 tsp Date paste //or// liquid sweetener of choice

-

In food processor or high speed blender puree the above ingredients until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

*To remove some of the moisture in your Zucchini lightly salt it (this helps release the water) and store it in an air tight container in your fridge overnight. Squeeze your Zucchini before using it and you will find that this helps the "creaminess" of this dressing.

Monday, June 7, 2010

I originally was going to focus only on Mushrooms this week, thanks to a little nudge from my interwebs-friend Marja (safe travels lady!) But upon arriving at my favorite Natural Foods store on Saturday and perusing their lovely produce section, my eyes fell onto the alien-like pod of the Fava bean and new that I had to get them. I should also mention that this weekend was my first time ever tasting a raw Fava bean too.EDIT:
Thank you to my lovely friend Kristen over at The Casual Vegan for a very coincidental post regarding the Fava Bean. While she opted to enjoy it cooked and I'll be preparing it raw she managed to do a wonderful informative write up on this still very new-to-me bean. Go visit Kristen and Greg --- they're some of my most favorite interwebs people.